Geranium plant named Vicky

ABSTRACT

A geranium plant named Vicky having salmon-pink flower color variegated with deep salmon-red on upper petals; medium early flowering; good bud production at night temperatures up to 16° C., thus providing a long and continuous flowering period; vigorous, self-branching growth habit; and ease of propagation and good rooting habit.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of geranium,botanically known as Pelargonium domesticum, and hereinafter referred toby the cultivar name Vicky.

Vicky is a product of a planned breeding program which had the objectiveof creating new geranium cultivars having a compact growth habit withgood branching, excellent flower production, early flowering and longflowering period, and salmon-pink flower color.

Vicky was originated from a hybridization made by applicant in acontrolled breeding program in Bisamberg, Austria in 1981. The femaleparent was Aurora, a cultivar characterized by its pale salmon-pinkflower color, very vigorous growth habit, late flowering but undesirablespreading growth habit.

The male parent of Vicky was a cultivar designated as seedling 78/75having a compact growth habit, salmon flower color, and very good flowerproduction.

Vicky was discovered and selected as one flowering plant within theprogeny of the stated cross by applicant on Apr. 25, 1982, in acontrolled environment in Bisamberg, Austria.

The first act of asexual reproduction of Vicky was accomplished whenvegetative cuttings were taken from the initial selection on Aug. 31,1981 in a controlled environment in Bisamberg, Austria by a technicianworking under formulations established and supervised by WolfgangKirmann. Horticultural examination of selected units initiated in thespring of 1982 has demonstrated that the combination of characteristicsas herein disclosed for Vicky are firmly fixed and are retained throughsuccessive generations of asexual reproduction.

Vicky has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions.The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment suchas temperature, light intensity, and day length. The followingobservations, measurements and comparisons describe plants grown inBisamberg, Austria under conditions which approximate those generallyused in commercial practice.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics of Vicky, which in combination distinguish thisgeranium as a new and distinct cultivar.

1. Salmon-pink flower color, variegated with salmon-red on upper petals.

2. Propagates well, with very good rooting habit.

3. Medium early flowering and long flowering period.

4. Vigorous, self-branching growth habit resulting in the setting ofmany buds.

5. Buds are produced under normal greenhouse conditions (5000 Lux for 16hours per day) at 14°-16° C. This is well above the cooler temperaturesrequired for previous domesticum varieties. In addition, plants floweredindoors can be transplanted outdoors and will continue blooming at nighttemperatures as high as 16° C. Known domesticum cultivars will producebuds outdoors only at night temperatures of 10° C. or lower.

6. Vicky is unique with regard to the combined features of compactness,continuous flowering, floriferous habit, and salmon-pink flower color.

Of the many commercial cultivars known to the present inventor, the mostsimilar in comparison to Vicky is Aurora, an unpatented but commercialcultivar. In comparison to Aurora, Vicky has a more compact growthhabit, flowers earlier, has larger flowers, and a more intense flowercolor.

The accompanying photographic drawings show typical flower and foliagecharacteristics of Vicky, with colors being as true as possible withillustrations of this type.

Sheet 1 is a perspective view of a potted plant of Vicky.

Sheet 2 is a black and white print showing the upper surface of immatureand mature plants of Vicky.

In the following description color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart (RHS). The color values weredetermined at 9:00 a.m. on May 23, 1985 under 35,000 Lux light intensityin a greenhouse at Hillscheid, Federal Republic of Germany.

Classification:

Botanical.--Pelargonium domesticum.

Commercial.--Commonly referred to as a "Martha Washington" geranium, andhaving the cultivar name Vicky.

INFLORESCENCE

A. Umbel:

Average diameter.--Very large, 140-150 mm.

Peduncle length.--Normal.

Pedicel length.--Normal.

B. Corolla:

Average diameters.--80-90 mm; total inflorescence diameter extendsbeyond foliage.

Form.--Five-six petals; symmetric.

Color (general tonality from a distance of three meters).--Salmon-pinkwith dark salmon-red variegation on the upper petals.

Color (upper surface).--55C-D variegated with 47B on the upper petals.

C. Bud:

Shape.--Elongated.

Color.--Salmon.

D. Reproductive organs:

Androecium.--Red-yellow.

Gynoecium.--Five-six lobed stigma.

E. Spring flowering response period: Medium early.

F. Durability: Very good.

PLANT

A. Foliage:

Form.--Zygomorphic with a nectar spur.

Margin.--Crenate with slight indentation.

Color (upper surface).--Light green.

Tolerance of Botrytis and soil fungi.--Very good.

B. General appearance and form:

Internode length.--Normal.

Branching pattern.--Excellent.

Height.--Medium compact.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of geranium named Vicky, asdescribed and illustrated, and particularly characterized by itssalmon-pink flower color variegated with deep salmon-red on upperpetals; medium early flowering; good bud production at nighttemperatures up to 16° C., thus providing a long and continuousflowering period; vigorous, self-branching growth habit; and by its easeof propagation and good rooting habit.